Overview

• Trump posted on Truth Social that he had directed two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative” comments by Dmitry Medvedev
• He did not clarify whether the vessels are nuclear-armed or simply nuclear-powered, and he offered no information on their secret locations
• US ballistic-missile submarines routinely patrol as part of America’s nuclear triad, with each Ohio-class boat carrying up to 20 warheads and a range exceeding 4,000 miles
• Defense analysts caution that publicly broadcasting such moves breaks long-standing norms of secrecy around nuclear assets and risks heightening US-Russia tensions
• Observers say the move illustrates how Trump uses nuclear deterrence as a political tool to project strength and divert attention from domestic challenges